Metal-punching machine



mg., R2, Mm

lG. P. THOMAS ,METAL PUNCHING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1923 WITH/5555 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

www@

B2 y l G. FF. THOMAS METAL PUN GHING MACHINE Filed may 11.

1923 2 Sheets-5heet 2 Patented Aug. l2, ilZf-il.

il .if

encuen P. r11-tontas, or GLENSHAW, PENNSYLVANIA.

IVIETAL-PUNCHING- MACHNE.

Application lcd Iay 11,

To all whomz't may concern.'

Be it known that l, Greci-:Gn l). 'f1-relaas, a citizen ot thel United States, and a resident of Glenshaw, in the county ot' Allegheny and lState oi Pennsylvania,.have invented anew and useful improvement in ll/letal-Punching Machines, of which the tollowing is a speciiication.

The invention relates to machinery for punching rivet and bolt holes in metal blanks, especially in structural material such as steel plates, angles, beams and other sections, and has particularly to do with machinery of this'type which includes a punch and spacing carriage having inter-depend- 'ent electrically-operated elements, and also has to do with spacing carriages which are driven by electric motors mounted on them but which may not have any electricallyoperated elements controlled by or which control'the punches with which the carriages are associated.

Machines of this type are shown in several of my prior patents. For example, my Patent No. 835,128 shows a machine including a spacing carriage driven by an electric motor, and a punch having gags operated by electro-magnets, the circuits through which magnets are controlled by mechanism on the carriage. Similar machines having in some instances the same and in others ditterent inter-dependent electrically-operated elements are shown in. my Patents Nos. 886,- 551, 1,068,465, 1,141,221 and 1,175,198.

In all of these machines the practice has been as is explained and illustrated in said Patents Nos. 835,123 and 886,551, to arrange the required number of electric conductors along the side of the tables on which the carriages travel, and to provide the carriages with arms or trolleys which contact with the conductors as the carriages move upon the tables. llhis has necessitated the presence oit long lines ot more or less eX- posed uninsulated conductors, Y some4 ot which, particularly the motor circuit conductors, carry heavy currents, and are accordingly dangerous.

An object of this invention is to provide machines of the type explained with mechanism to the end that the presence oi' eX- posed uninsulated lines of conductors may be eliminated.

A `:further and more specific object is to provide a spacing carriage for a metal punching machine with a drum or equivaieea serial No. 628,270.

lent device for receiving and properly paying out insulated conductors forming part ot a circuit Jfor supplying current to an electric carriage-driving motor mounted on the carriage, and also Yforming parts ot circuitsV for supplying current to such interdependent electrically-operated elements as may be borne by the carriage and the punch with which it is associated.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings otl which Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of a punch, work table, and spacing carriage movable upon the table; F ig. 2 a plan view ot the machine shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3 an enlarged plan view of the drum at the right end of the spacing carriage shown in Fig. l; and Fig. l an end elevation ot the drum shown in Fig. 3.

ln the practice of the invention insulated conductors are used for inter-connecting the inter-dependent electrically-operated elements of a punch and spacing carriage, and also tor the spacing carriage motor circuit. The spacing carriage is provided with means for taking up and paying out the conductors as the carriage moves to and fr0, so constructed and arranged as to prevent the conductors from interfering with the operation of the machine, and also to avoid injuring the conductors or their insulation. The pret-erred means tor this purpose is a drum mounted upon the carriage and rotated in such manner that, depending upon which way the carriage moves, the .conductors are properly reeled upon or paid from the drum. Vvlhile various means may be provided or rotating the drum, it is preferred to rotate it by connections extending from the driving mechanism of the carriage. The necessary conductors may be, and preterably are, embodied in a single cable which extends from the carriage to the end of the work table remote from the punch, and the rotation et the drum is such that as the carriage 'moves from the punch the cable is wound upon the drum, and as it moves toward the punch the cable is paid out. It will be understood, however, that this arrangement may be reversed.

The invention is illustrated in its applicability to a spacing carriage of the type disclosed in my Patents Nos. 1,068,465 and 1,245,530, although it is manifestly applicable to other types oi punching machinery, including those disclosed in the other of my patents mentioned above. Having reference tirst to Figs. 1 andk 2, a spacing table 1 and a feed table 2 are shown extending from opposite sides of a punch 3. Upon the spacing table there is a spacing carriage adapted to move ablank 5 from the feed table through the punch and to stop its ymovement at the required intervals for punching` it. Y

As to the electric elements borne by the spacing carriage and punch, the carriage is moved by an electric motor 6, which, through suitable connections indicated in the drawings, rotates a shaft 7' provided with pinions 8 which engage racks 9 mount- .d on the spacing table, and is Stopp-ed by the tripping` or releasing ot pawls 10 to permit the-m to engage a detent bar 11 also mounted on the table. During the operation of the machine motor 6 is continuously driven. The driving connections between it and shaft 7 include a magneticclutch 12 a. eicuit through which is interrupted to break .the driving connections by means oi' a contacter 13 which is caused ito move from a contacter let Vwhen pawls 10 are released. Punch 3 is provided with a magnetically operated clutch 15, the circuit through which is adapted to be closed through contactors 16 and 17 borne by the spacing carriage. To release pawls 1() at Vthe completion oiQ a punching operation, the

carriage is provided with an eleetro-i'nagnet or solenoid 13 the circuit through which is adapted to be closed by means of contacters 19 and 20 on 4the punch when the reciprocating head oi' the punch rises. rEhe particular manner in which these several electrically-Operated inter-dependent elements are constructed and operate, and the detailed construction and operation of the punch and spacing carriage are fully de- AYscribed and shown in my said Patents Nos.

LOGS/65, 1,11-1,221 and 1,245,530, and accordingly need not be further explained herein.

At the end of the carriage remote from the punch. there is rotatably mounted a drum on which there is wound a multiple electric conducto-r cable 26 containing conductors for the motor circuit and for the interdependent electrical]y-operated elements ust explained. As previously stated, the cable preferably extends from the carriage to the end oit the spacing table remote from the punch. At the end of the table there may be a roller 27 over which the cable passes, and to hold the cable fairly taut between the roller and thespacing carriage, a weight 28 may be attached to the cable. The drum may be positively rotated to reel the cable upon and pay it out. from the drum by yconnections extending from the driving mechanism. As shown in the drawins l n these driving connections may include a sprocket wheel 29 mounted on shaft 7, a sprocket wheel 30 mounted on the axle 31 ot the drum, and a sprocket chain 32 extending over rthese sprocket Wheels.

@ne end of the cable 26 is attached to drum 25, and means are provided, preterably in the form of contact rings and brushes for connecting the conductors of the cable to conductors mounted on the table and extending to the motor and other clectrica-l elements. Preferably, the coi'ltact rings are mounted upon axle 31 ot' the drum and the brushes supported by the carriage. This is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 1 which show the drum axle as being provided with a series of suitably insulated contact rings 33 to which lthe conductors of cable 26 are electrically connected. For the sake ot simplicity the details for extending the. cable conductors to the contact rings are omitted, the conductors being diagrannnatically shown in Fig. 3 as extending along axle 31. In contact with each ring there is a brush 3i mounted in an arm 35 yand supported by a bracket 36 attached to the frame of the carriage. Each brush is held yieldingly in cont-act with a ring 33 by means of a springpressed arm 37 which acts upon the outer end of the brush.

In the operation of the machine the spacing carriage 4L is intermittently moved to advance a. blank 5, and the punch is intermittently operated in coordination with the movements of the carriage to punch tlu` blank, all in the manner fully disclosed in my prior patents mentioned above. The conductors for the motor circuit and Yfor the inter-dependent electric elements are all carried by cable 2G. Drum 25 to which an end of the cable is attached and on which it is wound, is rotated in coordination with fthe movements of the carriage so that the length oit cable wound upon or paid out from the drum is the same as the movement of the carriage. Thus the requisite electric circuits and connections are established tor the carriage moto-r circuit and for the interdependent electric elements ot the punch and carriage without the use of exposed uninsulated conductors at the side of the spacing carriage.

According to `the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principle and operation ot my invention together with the construction which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof. However, l desire to have it uiulerstood that, within the scope oi the appended claims, the inven tion may be practiced with other forms ol construction than that particularly shown and described.

I claim 1. ln a metal punching machine, the combination with a punch, a spacing table, a work carriage movable upon the table, and

inter-dependent electrically-operated elements borne respectively by said punch and carriage; of a drum rotatably mounted on said carriage, insulated electric conductors on said drum and connecting said electrically-operated elements borne by the punch with those borne by the carriage, and means for rotating the drum to rcel the conductors upon and to pay them out from it as the carriage moves toward and from the punch.

2. In a metal punching machine, the combination with a punch, a spacing table, a work carriage movable upon the table, means for driving the carriage, and interdependent electrically-operated elements borne respectively by said punch and carriage; or a drum rotatably mounted on said carriage, insulated electric conductors Wound upon said drum and connecting said electrically-operated elements borne by the punch With those borne by the carriage, and means coordinated with the carriage driving means for rotating the drum 3, In a metal punching machine, the combination with a punch, a Work-supporting table, a spacing carriage movable upon the table, an electric motor mounted on the carriage for driving it, and inter-dependent electrically-operated elements borne respectively by said punch and carriage, of a drum rotatably mounted onsaid carriage, insulated conductors Wound upon said drum and connecting said electrically-operated elements borne by the punch With those borne by the carriage, and connections extending from said motor to said drum for rotating the drum.

fl. In a metal punching machine, the combination With a punch, a spacing table, a work carriage movable upon the table, and inter-dependent electrically-operated elements borne respectively by said punch and carriage; of a drum rotatably mounted on said carriage and provided with contactor rings, contact brushes mounted on said carriage, electric conductors connected to said rings and Wound upon the drum and eX- tending from the drum to said punch electrically-operated elements, and means for rotating the drum to reel the conductors upon and pay them out from it as the carriage moves to and from the punch.

5. In a spacing carriage for a metal punching machine, the combination with driving mechanism and an electric motor mounted on the carriage for operating said mechanism; of a drum rotatably mounted on the carriage, insulated electric conductors leading to said motor and Wound upon said drum, and means for rotating said drum to reel the conductors upon and pay them out from said drum as the carriage is moved.

6. In a spacing carriage for a metal punching machine, the combination With driving mechanism, and an electric motor mounted on the carriage for operating the driving mechanism; of insulated electric conductors forming part of a circuit for said motor, and means borne by the carriage for taking up and paying out said conductors as the carriage moves toand fro.

7. In a metal punching machine, the combination With a punch, a spacing table, a spacing carriage movable upon the table, and an electric motor mounted on the carriage 'for driving it; of insulated electric conductors forming part of aL circuit for said motor extending from the carriage to the end of the spacing table remote from the punch, and means borne by the carriage for taking up and paying out said conductors as the carriage moves to and from the punch.

8. In a metal punching machine, the combination With a punch, a spacing table, a work carriage movable upon the table, driving mechanism including an electric motor for driving the carriage; of a drum rotatably mounted upon the carriage and provided With contacter rings, brushes mounted upon the carriage and contacting With said rings, insulated electric conductors for said motor Wound upon said drum and extending longitudinally of said table, and con nections between said carriage-driving mechanisnrand said drum for rotating the drum to reel the conductors upon and pay them out from it as the carriage moves to and from the punch.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

GEORGE P. THOMAS. lVitness:

EDWIN O'. JOHNS. 

